1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clip for a flat harness, in particular, a clip that can fix one or more flat harnesses mounted to an automobile body regardless of the number of flat harnesses.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a flat harness is used as a type of an automobile wire harness. The flat harness is formed by a plurality of conductor strips made of, for example, a conductor foil, and arranged in parallel at intervals, between insulating films. When the flat harness is fixed to an automobile body, generally, as shown in FIG. 6, adhesive 2 is applied to a surface of the flat harness 1 to fix a clip 3 used for engagement with an automobile body. When flat harnesses 1A, 1B, 1C are laminated and fixed to an automobile body, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), the flat harnesses 1A, 1B and 1C are adhesively fixed by using the adhesive 2 one after another, and the clip 3 is fixed on the flat harness 1C, which is the lowest layer (FIG. 7(B)), by using adhesive 2. A wing-shape engaging portion 3a of the clip 3 is inserted into and is retained in a clip hole 6 of an automobile body 5 so as to fix the flat harness to the automobile body 5.
When the clip 3 is fixed by using adhesive 2 as described above, due to the use of the adhesive, there is a problem of permanence. Similarly, since the flat harnesses to be laminated are fixed to each other by using adhesive, there is a problem of permanence. In addition, the laminated flat harnesses are required to be fixed to each other by using adhesive previous to being mounted to an automobile body. Thus, it takes a long time and causes the additional problem of being bulky.
Accordingly, the present invention is provided in view of the above-described problems, and an objective of the present invention is to use a mechanical means to securely fix a flat harness to an automobile body and to securely fix the flat harnesses to each other, instead of the fixation using adhesive. In addition, another objective of the present invention is, when the flat harnesses are laminated, to remove the requirement of the flat harnesses being combined as one piece in advance, and to enable the flat harnesses to be laid one on top of another at the time of mounting to an automobile body.
To achieve the above and/or other goals, the present invention provides a clip for a flat harness including an upper plate, a first stem portion extending from a vicinity of a first end in a longitudinal direction of the upper plate, and at least one first projecting portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the first stem portion. A lower plate is provided and defines a first stem portion insertion hole at a position facing the first stem portion. A first cylindrical portion extends downwardly from the lower plate at a margin of the first stem portion insertion hole. At least one first recessed portion is provided in an inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion, and a first wing-shaped engaging portion extends upwardly from an end of the first cylindrical portion. The first stem portion is insertable into the first cylindrical portion. The first cylindrical portion is insertable into a clip hole provided in an automobile body. The at least one first recessed portion is engageable with the at least one first projecting portion when the first stem portion is inserted into the first cylindrical portion, so that at least one flat harness is held between the upper plate and the lower plate. The first wing-shaped engaging portion is configured to engage with the automobile body.
As described above, when the flat harness is held between the upper plate and the lower plate, the stem portion on the upper plate is inserted into the cylindrical portion on the lower plate, and the projecting portion on the stem portion engages with the recessed portion on the lower plate, the position of the recessed portion that engages with the projecting portion, can be changed according to the thickness of the flat harness. Accordingly, regardless of the number of the flat harnesses, the flat harnesses can be securely held between the upper plate and the lower plate according to the thickness of the flat harnesses.
Preferably, the clip, includes a hinge that connects the upper plate and the lower plate at a second end in the longitudinal direction to form a single unit. The second end is opposite to the first end, where the stem portion is provided.
Alternatively, the upper plate and the lower plate are provided as separate components, and the clip further includes a second stem portion extending from a vicinity of a second end in a longitudinal direction of the upper plate and the clip includes at least one second projecting portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the second stem portion. The second end is opposite to the first end, where the first stem portion is provided. The lower plate defines a second stem portion insertion hole at a position facing the second stem portion. The clip further includes a second cylindrical portion extending downwardly from the lower plate at a margin of the second stem portion insertion hole. The second stem portion is insertable into the second cylindrical portion, and the second cylindrical portion is insertable into a clip hole provided in the automobile body. Further, at least one second recessed portion is provided in an inner peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion. The at least one second recessed portion is engageable with the at least one second projecting portion when the second stem portion is inserted into the second cylindrical portion, so that the at least one flat harness is held between the upper plate and the lower plate. A second wing-shaped engaging portion extends upwardly from an end of the second cylindrical portion, the wing-shaped engaging portion is configured to engage with the automobile body.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the cylindrical portion is separated into halves along an axial direction of the cylindrical portion. When the cylindrical portion is separated into halves, the insertion pressure of the stem portion can be reduced.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a clip for a flat harness is provided including an upper plate, a first stem portion extending from a vicinity of a first end in a longitudinal direction of the upper plate, a lower plate including a first stem portion insertion hole at a position facing the first stem portion, a first cylindrical portion extending downwardly from the lower plate at a margin of the first stem portion insertion hole. The first stem portion is insertable into the first cylindrical portion, and the first cylindrical portion is insertable into a clip hole provided in an automobile body. The clip further includes a first wing-shaped engaging portion extending upwardly from an end of the first cylindrical portion. The first wing-shaped engaging portion is configured to engage with the automobile body. A first retainer is provided between an outer peripheral surface of the first stem portion and an inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical portion to retain the first stem portion in the first cylindrical portion after the first stem portion is inserted into the first cylindrical portion, so that at least one flat harness is held between the upper plate and the lower plate.
The retainer can include at least one projecting portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the stem portion and at least one recessed portion provided in the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. Alternatively, the retainer can include at least one recessed portion provided in the outer peripheral surface of the stem portion and at least one projecting portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The projecting portion and the recessed portion engage with each other so that the stem portion is retained in the cylindrical portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provide for mounting at least one flat harnesses to an automobile body using the above-described clip. First, at least one flat harness is provided between the upper plate and the lower plate of the clip. The at least one flat harness can be placed in a condition that the longitudinal direction of the clip is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat harness. The first stem portion is inserted into the first cylindrical portion through the first stem portion insertion hole. The at least one first projecting portion is made to engage with the at least one first recessed portion. Finally, the first cylindrical portion, with the first wing-shaped engaging portion compressed, is inserted into a clip hole provided in the automobile body so that the first wing-shaped engaging portion engages with the automobile body.
Alternatively the method for mounting at least one flat harnesses to an automobile body using the clip can include inserting the first cylindrical portion, with the first wing-shaped engaging portion compressed, into a clip hole provided in the automobile body so that the first wing-shaped engaging portion engages with the automobile body; providing the at least one flat harnesses on the lower, plate; covering the upper plate on the at least one flat harness provided on the lower plate so that the at least one flat harness is held between the upper plate and the lower plate; and inserting the first stem portion into the first cylindrical portion through the first stem portion insertion hole.